The Hunter and the Slayer
by Quinn Thomas
Summary: She was trying to kill his father, he should have hated her. Instead, he finds himself wondering if he could change her mind. But can she be swayed? Could there be any future for two people who seem so different? He was going to find out. Rated M for swearing and likely lemons!
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hi all, welcome to my first Fairy Tail fan fic. It's not AU but it is set when the characters are older (somewhere in the 20's will work out actual ages in later chapters) mainly because this works better with the plot. It is OC so I will be explaining them in greater detail as I go. Think that was all I needed to say for now... enjoy :) - Quinn

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It wasn't raining.

This, of course, was not unusual for summer in the desert but Lilia still couldn't help feeling a little put out by the weathers apparent apathy towards her situation. What happened to pathetic fallacy? It always rained in stories when something bad happened to the hero and she couldn't even get a damn drizzle! Then again, she wasn't the hero. In the story of her own life, she probably wasn't even the main character.

What would the story of her life be? A romance? Not unless you considered a string of one night stands and marrying a gay guy romance. An epic? Hardly. Romantic comedy? She hadn't noticed a charmingly naïve man chasing after her, engaging is a series of misunderstood attempts to garner her affections. Besides, she very much doubted her life story would end with _'…and they lived happily ever after'._

Lilia was so lost in her own musings that she failed to notice the rock that sprang from the sand to trip her. Sand went in her mouth as she fell face first onto the desert floor. She glared at the demon rock that had come from no where and maliciously attacked her. If looks could kill, the rock would have rolled over and… well, probably stayed a rock. Just upside down. The sound of a man's laughter provided a background to the growl that rumbled through her chest and throat.

"Perhaps more of a tragic comedy?" A masculine voice offered as a hand appeared in her vision. She grumbled her discontent at Dean's amusement but took the offered hand anyway. His biceps bunched as he easily pulled her to her feet, sand sliding back to fill the dip she left.

"Thanks," Lilia murmured, meeting his dark brown eyes only briefly before focusing on brushing the sand from her clothes. Dean reached one hand across and ran it back along her hair, dislodging sand.

"Relax, it doesn't matter that it turned out to be a dead end. We knew the lead was a long shot and there will be others." He spoke with no inflection, simply stating the facts. He knew she was just frustrated – she didn't need sympathy, she needed to snap out of it. "Let's just get out of this desert and we can start the hunt again. You said last time we visited Magnolia that you could feel the pull strongly," He tilted his head slightly and gave her a lopsided grin, showing straight white teeth. "There's no need to go taking your anger out on some poor unsuspecting rock, Lil." Lilia sighed at his nickname for her and mumbled something about assassin rocks. He was the only person who could call her 'Lil' and walk away with no bruises. His grin widened.

"Being married to you has to have some perks," He said as he poked her in the ribs and carried on walking. Lilia frowned at his back, calling him names in her head, knowing he could hear them. He just chuckled again, the deep rumbling sound that always soothed her temper. She smiled slightly and jogged to catch up with him.

"We won't be married for much longer. At least, not legally. The divorce should have gone through by now," Lilia titled her head to look up at his face, her deep green eyes sparkling with amusement rather than anger. "What's the first thing you're going to do as a free man?"

"I'm hardly a free man! I think Cas will be dragging me to the alter as soon as he can." Deans grin grew soppy as he thought about his other half. The two hadn't seen each other in months, though that wasn't uncommon. Castiel was a Lieutenant for the royal army and was often away and Dean was always with Lilia, carrying out the mission they had been set so long ago. Dean had received word only a couple of days ago that Cas would be in Magnolia for a few weeks which neatly coincided with the disappointing (and violent) end to one of their leads. That was where the two were heading now. They would pick up their divorce papers and Dean would spend the next few weeks with Cas whilst Lilia tried to pick up the trail again. She thought back to that morning when they had arrived in the location the lead had said he had heard a dragon roar. Turned out to just be one very pissed of demon but it put up a good fight. Lilia could feel bruises forming on her legs and stomach.

She was unconsciously rubbing her sore stomach when Images of Cas in various stages of undress crowded her thoughts. She groaned and shouldered the large man next to her.

"Dean, reign it in or block the link." He smiled cheekily down at her. Dean was a large man, over 6ft tall - all biceps, corded muscle and tattoos. He was a rather intimidating man. Well, until he smiled, then his kind heart shone through. Those crooked smiles combined with the expressive brown eyes and dark sandy hair that fell across his eyes when he looked down at you were what made people fall in love with him. It was what made Lilia fall in love with him. A part of her always knew he was gay, even before he admitted it, but she married him anyway. Perhaps she was selfish but he was her closest friend and if she didn't marry him she would have been forced into an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages were common in her clan. As Hunters, they married not for love but to create a bond. A bond that strengthened the magic of the couple and aided them in their Hunts. Love came later, if at all. If she hadn't created that bond with Dean she would have been made to create it with another. Someone the matchmakers deemed a good match for her. Thought the matchmakers were often right in their pairings (thought no one would tell them if they weren't) Lilia still couldn't bare to create the Link with someone she didn't know and trust implicitly. She had too many secrets.

Part of the bond that Hunters created was the Link. A sense link strong enough that they could hear each other's thoughts as though they had been spoken aloud. It allowed for easy communications during battle and prevented split second delays that could be deadly. Lilia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if the Link will still be as strong when you marry Cas."

Dean put an arm round her shoulder, "I think it will be. Even if we aren't legally married, even if we marry other people – you will always be my wifey." She wrapped her arms round his waist and hugged him back. Even if they weren't in love romantically, they were closer than best friends and loved each other dearly.

"Well, I suppose we will find out shortly. I expect to be Maid of Honour, you know." Images of her slim build in huge, pink, puff-ball dresses were her only response from the man next to her. She scowled. "Hell, no. I don't do pink and puffy."

"It's my wedding, you wear what I pick."

"You know, for a gay guy you have terrible fashion sense."

"Says the woman walking through a desert in a leather cat suit." He raised one eyebrow and pointedly looked her up and down. Lilia stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arm over her chest.

"It's not like I feel the heat." Besides, the suit was standard issue for Hunter women. It may make her stand out amongst normal people but it was comfortable and protected her in fights more than regular clothing but allowed for more movement than armour. The suit was made of black leather, worn dull and flexible after years of use. It zipped up the front from the waist right the way to her neck, though it was currently undone slightly, revealing the top of her chest. The sleeves ended just before her elbows, a pair of leather bracers, topped with metal plates covered her fore-arms. She carried 'normal' clothes with her but hadn't bothered changing after the last Hunt, she would change when they reached Magnolia. Dean, on the other hand, was wearing a pair of jeans, worn bare at the knees and had stuffed his collared t-shirt into his pack, opting to go shirtless in the desert heat. His tanned skin shone slightly with sweat and Lilia couldn't help but chuckle when he scowled at her.

"Not all of us are so impervious to the heat, you know," He huffed.

"I might not feel the heat but the pace you're setting is making me sweat," Lilia complained as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She glanced down and noticed that even though Dean had opted for his civilian clothes, he still wore his black boots. Identical to hers (apart from the slight heel she had retro-fitted to her own pair) they laced from the middle of the foot to the middle of his calf, hidden under his jeans. The steel toe cap shone brightly in the sun.

"I'm eager to get to Magnolia, it's not far away now." He didn't need to explain, she could feel his excitement as the first buildings came into view.

"You just want to be rid of me," Lilia teased. He gave her an exasperated look out of the corner of his eye and started walking faster, forcing her to quicken her pace to keep up. She knew that wasn't wasn't why he was in such a hurry, really. Lilia could see his thoughts clearly and they were all of Cas. She smiled slightly to herself, she was glad her best friend had found someone he loved so dearly. Lilia knew the pain he had gone through, coming to terms with who he was. Their clan was very old fashioned, they didn't approve of gay relationships. Perhaps that was why he had proposed to her? Maybe he was selfish as well. If a couple got together on their own, as long as the matchmakers deemed it a good fit, they could circumvent the arrangement process. Despite having been married for 3 years, they had never really spoken about why they had both entered into the marriage, despite both knowing Dean was gay. It wasn't like either believed it could stay a secret for long. As soon as the Bond was made, she would be able to hear his thoughts and would have discovered the truth, even if he hadn't confessed. Lilia supposed it didn't really matter now. She didn't regret her decision and knew he didn't regret it either. The marriage had brought them closer and allowed them to create the Bond with someone they truly cared for.

Dean ignored her inner musings, focused solely on the buildings ahead. Once they reached the desert town they could get a train to Magnolia and be there within 3 hours. He felt bad for pushing them so hard and felt even worse for making Lilia get on a train. Her greatest weakness was probably her motion sickness. It crippled her completely from the moment she stepped onto any form of transportation. He glanced at her, seeing the tail of the dragon tattoo on her right arm that peaked from under her clothing. She hadn't recovered enough magic after this mornings fight to avoid using the train. Still, Dean knew she wouldn't complain. Lilia, if anything, was loyal to a fault and cared too much for everyone else. She would put up with the motion sickness without a word because she knew how excited he was to get back to Cas. He knew it was selfish for him to ask this of her but it had been 3 months and 6 days since Dean had last seen Castiel and knowing he was so close made him selfish.

She caught his eye and she grinned at him, her sharp canines flashing, strands of rich, brown hair fell around her face. "If taking the train puts a stop to all those mushy thoughts I will smile as I throw up out the window." She snickered, mirth filling her laugh. Dean smiled back at her, he really couldn't wish for a better friend or, he supposed, a better ex-wife. She nodded along with his thoughts. "And don't you forget it!"

The pair carried on walking in silence, reaching the first few buildings in no time. As they walked through the streets towards the train stations, Dean couldn't help but notice the number of heads that Lilia turned. It wasn't surprising, her choice of outfit aside, she was a very, very pretty woman. Her slim but toned figure and beautiful chocolate hair usually turned heads, even if she was in sweats. Lilia snorted and looked up at him, forest green eyes narrowing. "I highly doubt it is me drawing all the attention. You are walking around with no shirt on." Dean cast his eyes about and caught the stares of quite a few women and, he noticed with smug satisfaction, quite a few men. He straightened his back, walking a little taller and making his ab muscles flex. Lilia laughed at his preening but said nothing. When they reached the station, Dean pulled his t-shirt from his pack and slipped it on, the temperature considerably cooler in the shade of the buildings. He looked down at his partner who hadn't moved.

"Aren't you going to get changed?" He asked as he hoisted his pack onto his back once more. She shook her head.

"No, I have a feeling I will need it," Lilia stretched her arms above her head before glancing around. They still had about an hour before their train was due to depart and she was starving. Spotting a small café not far away, she motioned Dean towards it with a nod of her head. He followed, glancing around himself.

"Here? I don't sense anything?" He queried in a low voice.

"I don't know. I don't sense it yet either but I can smell something. It smells wrong, dark." Dean nodded, he knew not to second guess Lilia's sense of smell. "I think it may be hiding. No, I won't approach it first." She answered his unspoken question. Dean sighed with relief. His partner could be reckless in her Hunts. This didn't normally matter but the town was busy and there was too much risk of civilian casualties. The pair entered the small café and ordered, Dean picking up the scent from Lilia's mind. As the scent grew stronger, they noticed a man, brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes, walking towards the station only a short distance from the café. Dean grinned, his heart rate picking up. It was a powerful one, it was masking its magic so as not to be detected but nothing could fool Lilia's nose. The Hunt would begin the moment it tried to attack the pair, and it would attack. A high level demon like that was almost certainly out to gain a promotion through attacking the two Hunters. Lilia looked up at him.

"What's the plan?" She sipped her water, totally calm, waiting for him to come up with a strategy. Dean leaned his elbow on the metal table, placing his head in this hand and thought, a hundred different scenarios playing out before him.

"We wait." He said finally. "We can't risk drawing it out into the open with this many people around and it's almost definitely here looking for us. I reckon it will follow us onto the train and we can lead it to somewhere more secluded when we reach Magnolia. Then we attack and send the bastard back to hell." Lilia nodded once, her eyes following the movement of the man, taking in his gait, his posture, looking for anything that could give away which demon he was. A young waitress placed their food in front of them, giving Dean a flirtatious smile.

 _"_ _She's young enough to be your daughter."_ Lilia smirked as she spoke to him through the Link, her voice in his head slightly different than it was out loud. It was how she heard herself speak, slightly higher pitched with a stronger accent – it wasn't as nice as her actual voice.

 _"_ _She's got to be, what, 15/16? Only 8 or 9 years younger than us. Don't be so jealous."_ He chided and she grimaced. Even though he was gay and seeing another man, she could still get wound up when women attempted to get his attention. Personally, Dean thought it was rather funny and kind of cute. She wrinkled her nose even more. The waitress left, giving Lilia a strange look.

 _"_ _You can be just as bad!"_ She exclaimed, _"You get really protective if guys hit on me."_

 _"_ _That's because guys are assholes."_

 _"_ _You're a guy and you're dating a guy – I don't think you can say that."_

 _"_ _Gay guys are different."_

 _"_ _So you want me to be gay too? Or do you want me to marry another gay guy?"_

 _"_ _That would be preferable."_

Lilia gave a humourless 'Hah!' at this and said aloud; "Well, tough. I like males, preferably ones who like females." Dean smirked and shook his head.

"Whatever. Eat up, we have a train to catch." And just like that, Lilia's face paled and took on a sickly shade of green.

The train arrived in Magnolia 3 hours later. There had been no sign of the demon on the journey but Lilia assured him through bouts of sickness that she could still smell him on the train. As they exited the carriage, Lilia pushed through the crowds and launched herself at the platform, grinning madly at being on still ground again. Dean exited the carriage a couple of moments later and walked to stand beside her. Her smile had slipped slightly and she looked perplexed. Dean could feel the strange pull in her chest through the Link.

"It's never been this strong before. Even when we were here a few years ago, it wasn't this strong. It was almost as though the Lacrima was reacting to an after-image back then. Now it's stronger, whatever it is that is pulling it," She looked up at him, green eyes searching his brown. "I have a feeling the end of the trail is here." Her voice was low, almost a whisper but the excitement and nervousness shone in her eyes. Dean put a hand on her shoulder. Part of him was desperate to believe her, to believe their mission might finally be at an end, but part of him dreaded it too. He knew that once Lilia completed their mission, she would return to the clan and he would not. Lilia placed a hand on top of his.

"Don't think about that yet. I could be wrong, this could be another dead end." Dean followed her line of sight to the hill behind the station. That was where the pull was coming from, he could feel it. That was where the end of her journey was.

On top of that hill, overlooking Magnolia, completely unaware that fate had just pulled into town, Natsu grinned, happy to be home.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Firstly, thank you for all the reviews on the previous chapter it was lovely to hear people enjoying the story :) I was asked when this fic is set. I have set it after the Grand Magic Games but several years after (X795). Imagine nothing happens for several years after the Grand Magic Games arc. This is because I wanted to have the characters older than they are in the Manga but I am still quite far behind. Also, yes, whilst researching time lines to work out ages I stumbled across spoilers (-_-) regarding Natsu's age. I'm ignoring this because it's my fic so NYAH!

My OC characters Dean and Cas are a nod to Supernatural, I was struggling to come up with names for the characters and decided that since one is from a clan that hunts demons I should pay homage to my Supernatural OTP.

Please review - I love hearing people's views :)

\- Quinn

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It took all Lilia's restraint not to let her instincts take over, not to sprint in the direction the Lacrima was pulling her. The second she took a step in that direction, the smell of the demon assaulted her senses and she remembered who she was and where she was. Her revenge would have to wait, right now she had to carry out her duty. She looked to Dean and he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"One problem at a time, let's get rid of the demon and then we can follow the trail." He grabbed her hand, dwarfing her small one in his larger one and pulled her towards the exit of the station, out onto the streets of Magnolia.

Ever since that nightmare, 17 years ago, Lilia had had two purposes in life. The first she was born into. As a member of the Vyadha clan, her main purpose in life was to Hunt demons that had escaped or been let into the world and return them to 'Hell' (the demon realm wasn't actually called Hell but Lilia would be damned if she could pronounce its real name so Hell would do). Her clan existed in near secrecy, cleaning up behind the scenes of people's daily lives. It was dangerous and thankless and Lilia loved every moment of it.

Her second purpose in life was a direction given to her by the elders of her Clan - to hunt and slay the beast that attacked her town and killed so many of her family. It was this purpose that drove Lilia with an almost single minded determination. If she felt the pull from her Lacrima she would forgo nearly everything to follow the trail, hoping to finally avenge the dead and complete the mission she set out on nearly 3 years ago. These two missions were her reasons for living, her purpose in this world. It was what got her back up when she couldn't fight anymore, what made her carry on. Judging from the strength of the pull from her Lacrima, one of those missions was nearly at an end and she was closer to the beast than she had been for 17 years. To say she felt excited would be an understatement but at the same time she was more terrified than she had been for years. She would finally confront her worst nightmare and one of her life's purposes would be fulfilled.

The demon followed the pair as they walked briskly through busy streets lined with market stalls. They were heading in the direction of the hill Lilia had been drawn to and it was making her heart race. Dean stared straight ahead, no longer needing to pull Lilia with him. Lilia could feel magic starting to flow in the air, dark magic. The demon knew it had been found and was gathering its power, dropping whatever it had been doing to mask the magic energy. It would attack soon, regardless of the number of innocent people in the way. Lilia picked her pace up, moving to a near run as Dean kept in step.

The first shot missed, taking out a chunk of the wall next to Dean's shoulder. The black magic crackled as it faded.

"Shit!" Dean cursed as he turned a corner sharply and broke into a dead run. Lilia sprinted after him, able to follow his movement through the Link, seeing what he planned to do a second before he did it as he dodged market stalls and startled people. Lilia risked a glance over her shoulder. The demon was giving chase, its hat gone, revealing pitch black eyes. She noticed that the skin around the eye sockets was peeling, showing bloody muscle underneath. She turned back and focused on running, they were nearly out of the city.

 _"_ _It's strong. It hasn't been in the host long and already the body is starting to disintegrate."_ She said through the Link, focusing too much on her breathing to speak out loud. The more powerful the demon, the faster its human host would decay. Although demons could walk the human world without a human host, it was uncommon, they were more likely to bring the Hunters down upon them if they didn't hide. Instead, most demons chose a human body to take over, a host. The more powerful the demon, the less time a host could survive the takeover, human bodies were not able to withstand the dark magic demons used. The more magic a demon possessed, the quicker the body would decay. Judging from the strong human smell that still clung to the body, the demon had been in its current host for less than a month and already the body was starting to fall apart. This was bad, low level demons could stay in a host for decades before showing any signs of decay.

The pair burst from the cover of the houses, narrowly missing another shot which took out a, thankfully, empty market stall. They carried on running, following a road that took them out of the city and through fields, the city shrinking behind them with every footfall. The pair dodged and weaved, avoiding shots of pure dark magic without looking back. Deans brown irises were edged with a ring a bright blue, the colour change a result of the ocular magic that allowed him a 360°field of vision without moving his head. With his magic he was able to see when the demon attacked whilst also watching where he was running so Lilia allowed him to pull and push her out the way if she didn't respond to his thoughts quick enough. It was hard for her to process his thoughts when he used his ocular magic. Part of that magic was being able to decipher the additional images that came with having a 360°field of vision, something she couldn't do.

Finally they reached the base of the hill and span to face the demon, jumping sideways away from each other to avoid another blast that hit the ground in between them. As the demon stalked towards them Lilia noticed nearly its whole face had peeled away, leaving a gruesome scene of muscle and bone beneath. The body suddenly sagged, as though all the air had been let out of it and slipped to the floor. The demon had abandoned its unwitting host, who lay dead on the floor and had vanished. Lilia caught its scent and lunged sideways at the last second, a ball of black energy crackled past her from nowhere.

"Dean, I have its scent but I can't see it," She called, casting her eyes around. Dean mirrored her, picking up the scent from her mind and trying to follow its movements.

"What the-" A female voice called out before shrieking and Lilia spun in horror to see four people standing behind them at the foot of the hill. The blonde's eyes, she assumed the one who had screamed, were on the dead man that was led at their feet.

 _"_ _Try and fight, I'll sort out the civilians,"_ Dean's voice was clear in her mind as he ran towards the startled group. Lilia tried to ignore what was going on behind her but the sudden pull from her Lacrima was so strong it was difficult to ignore. It was tugging her towards the group. She blocked the feeling as best she could and tried to pick up the trail, tried to work out what direction the attack would come from.

"It's dangerous, you have to leave," Dean's voice was harsh as he tried to get the group to leave the area.

"We're not going anywhere until you explain why that man has no face." It was a woman who answered, a different one from before. A crackling noise filled the air and Lilia span as dark magic flew past her. She didn't have to call out in warning, Dean was already pulling the red head to the ground, but instinct made her cry out anyway. A black haired man and the red head woman crouched by Dean, the dark magic fizzling out on the grass only a few centimetres from them. Lilia saw another ball of magic materialise out of the corner of her eye. It shot towards her. She prepared to dodge but the angle of the shot was wrong, it wouldn't hit her. It would miss – a strangely rookie mistake from a high level demon. No, it wouldn't miss. It wasn't aimed at her. It was aimed at the pink haired man stood just behind her and to the side. She didn't think (Dean would later confirm that she went silent and that no thoughts passed through her mind at all), She just ran. It would be months before she finally understood why she didn't think, why she just lunged at the pink haired man, why she shoved him out of the way. Why she took the hit.

The ball of crackling dark magic impacted and exploded against her hip, sending her and the pink haired man flying. The pain as the she hit the ground made the thoughts come back.

"LILIA!" Dean. She cursed and twisted over, summoning magic to her hand and sending a stream of fire in the direction the last shot came from. It missed. Of course it missed, the thing was invisible but the flames heated the air, causing it to ripple. Causing it to ripple differently only half a foot from where she had aimed. There. Dean leapt in action, pushing his magic into his shadow and sending it towards where the demon had been revealed. It wrapped around something solid, binding the demon. As Dean worked to contain the demon, Lilia slumped backwards slightly, a hand going to her injured hip. It was bad, she could feel the poison from the magic starting to affect her body. Demon magic wasn't compatible with human bodies.

"Why did you do that?" The voice was quiet. She looked to her right and her eyes met with the dark eyes of the pink haired man. The answer from her Lacrima was so abrupt, so sharp, Lilia audibly gasped. This made the man frown, he looked to her hip, spotting the blood that had started to seep from the wound. _Him. Him. Him. Him._ It was like a second heartbeat. She had no idea where the thought was coming from but it was overwhelming. She just stared at the man in shock as he jumped to his feet. The blonde woman ran over to her and pushed something against her hip, pulling Lilia from her thoughts as a fresh wave of pain ran through her. The blonde had pushed her jacket against the wound, stemming the blood flow. Lilia's thoughts were muddled as she frowned at the blonde. What was she doing? It wasn't blood loss that would kill her. The woman was talking but Lilia had zoned her out. The pink haired man had started running towards where Dean was holding the demon with his shadow.

"Natsu!" The red head called out to the man as she jumped up and ran to join in the fight as well. Lilia just stared at them. _Him. Him. Him. Him._ It wouldn't stop. What were they doing? They're going to get themselves killed. The demon is powerful and their magic won't hurt it.

 _"_ _Then get your stupid ass over here and help me. RIGHT. NOW."_ Dean was pissed. Lilia snapped back to reality. She jumped up from the ground and dashed towards her partner.

"Get back!" She yelled to Natsu and the red head. Both had adopted fighting stances and turned sharply to look at her as she skidded to halt between them. "You need to get back. This thing is powerful and you don't know how to fight it."

"You're injured." The red head commented, as though mentioning that it was sunny today. Lilia shrugged a shoulder, her eyes scanning the shadows that appeared to be wrapped around nothing. She could hear Dean's thoughts, analysing every possible move, every attack and counter attack. His thoughts were too fast for her to follow. She caught his eye and nodded, she would follow his orders.

"Just stay back and let us handle this." The pain from her wound was starting to mess with her thoughts again. Did she mean to sound so hostile? Lilia knew that she had to finish this fast. She ignored the looks on the stranger's faces and sent magic to her eyes, activating her own ocular magic. It took only 4 seconds for her to analyse and copy the invisibility magic the demon was using but, just as she couldn't follow Deans thoughts when he used his magic, he would have no way to follow hers. The information she took in and analysed in the space of 4 seconds was immense, telling how to use and how to dispel the magic. She blinked and darted forward, wrapping her magic round her and disappearing. Lilia was so focused on the fight that she failed to notice the astonished looks on the stranger's faces as she vanished before their eyes.

 _"_ _I can't hold it much longer."_ Even in her mind Dean's voice was strained.

 _"_ _I can break the invisibility."_

 _"_ _I was hoping you would say that."_ Dean relayed the plan to her as she jumped onto a large rock to get a better angle. They couldn't get too close to this demon, or give it a chance to fight back. Dean was nearly out of magic just from having held it for a couple of minutes. Hit it hard and hit it fast. Lilia took a deep breath, dropping the invisibility, she wouldn't need it after all. Dean pulled back his shadows, the demon giving a bone-chilling scream of anger as he did. Freed from its bonds, it started to attack. With her ocular magic still active, she could see the magic start to form, see the way the air moved differently around the invisible demon.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Lilia yelled as she dragged her magic up from her core, from her Lacrima, and sent it forth, bursting from her mouth in a powerful stream of fire. She heard a startled cry of 'what the hell' that sounded as though it came from Natsu but she ignored it. The demon screamed again, it's invisibility dropping as she broke it's concentration. Lilia dashed from her rock and ran towards it, her hand stretched out at her side, away from her body. Ten heartbeats. Her heart was racing so much that was no time at all. As she neared the demon smoke swirled around her palm and she felt a familiar weight settle in her grip as her sword materialised. Now visible, the demon towered over even Deans large frame, at least 8ft tall. It swung a large, clawed hand towards her. Lilia dodged, bringing the sword down on the demons arm, slicing deep. Black tendrils began spreading quickly away from the impact point on its arm, the magic of the sword killing off the tissue and pulling magic from it. The demon ignored the injury, firing more dark magic at her. Lilia dodged, jumping back but still trying to find an opening. A sucking noise began behind the demon as air rushed past her. Dean had opened the gate to Hell. It was now or never. The gate couldn't stay open too long or risk letting other demons through. Already the dark magic from within was leaking out, darkening the trees and turning the leaves to dust. The demon turned its head, black eyes focused on the gateway for just a second. That was all the time she needed. Lilia opened her hand, dropping her sword. It turned to smoke before it hit the ground. The hand that held the sword clenched into a tight fist. She drew it back.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Lilia leapt forward, her hand encased in dancing yellow and orange flames and struck the demon in the centre of its chest. Its large body flew backwards and disappeared into the swirling darkness of the gateway behind. The wind and sucking sound stopped abruptly as Dean closed the gate. Lilia stood tense for a few more seconds, her senses on high alert, waiting for another attack. It didn't come. She looked to Dean, who was sat on the floor to her left, breathing heavily. He met her eyes and frowned. She didn't understand why he was frowning. They had just won hadn't they? The pain in her hip reminded her that whilst they may have won the fight, she was still very much in trouble.

"Did you just use Fire Dragon Slayer magic?" Lilia turned, meeting the wide eyes of the red head. She flicked her eyes to Natsu. He was staring at her, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The eye contact seemed to snap him out of his daze. He ran towards her and grabbed her shoulders. He was about a head taller than her and Lilia had to tilt her head back to keep eye contact. Even through the leather of her outfit she could feel the heat from his hands. His magic was so familiar that it shook her. She could see in his eyes that it was unnerving him too.

"Where did you learn that magic?!" Natsu demanded. His gaze unwavering on hers. Lilia could feel her temper rising. She didn't like how this stranger was demanding answers from her. It should be the other way around. She pulled back sharply, breaking his hold on her shoulders and glared at him. Before she could begin to question him her vision narrowed, turning black and fuzzy at the edges. The last thing she heard was Dean call her name as she collapsed. The ground was awfully warm.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - Firstly, thank you to everyone who is reviewing and favouriting it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy that people are enjoying my little world! Secondly, I want to just make it clear that there is no 'schedule' for me uploading chapters. I have a manic life as it is and can't commit to one every week or similar, it will be an 'as and when' type of upload. Just managing expectations :)

\- Quinn

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Natsu caught her the moment she passed out. Well, he didn't so much as catch her as stop her falling face first onto the ground as she crumpled towards him. He couldn't help but wonder why he always seemed to end up catching girls? Lilia's head rested against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her up. She was surprisingly small. Natsu hadn't really noticed how petite she was before. And warm. He was only supporting her weight for a few seconds before the big man with the tattoo's, Dean, swept her up and out of his arms. Dean retreated from the group and laid Lilia gently on the grass. Natsu made a noise of protestation and took a step towards them. He wanted to shake the girl awake, to ask how the hell she could use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. Erza placed a hand on his shoulder and he paled, freezing mid step. Happy landed at Natsu's feet and hugged his leg as the Fire Mage watched Dean mutter to himself, placing a hand on Lilia's forehead, holding to other outstretched away from his body.

"Natsu? Who is she?" The cat's voice was small and timid. Natsu could tell Happy was nervous of the strangers, he was too but that didn't stop him wanting answers.

"I don't know but you can be sure I'm gonna find out." A long knife appeared in Deans outstretched hand. The sun glinted off the curved blade.

"Sorry, Lil. This is going to hurt," Deans voice was warm and deep, full of concern for his partner. It was clear he cared for the wo- _he just stabbed her_.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natsu gaped at the man as he pushed the wicked looking blade into Lilia's side, into the already bleeding wound. Forget caring for her, this man was a psycho! Natsu started to run forwards, intent on stopping the larger man from killing the woman he wanted to question. He managed only a couple of paces before he tripped and land with an 'oof' on the ground. Something was grabbing his ankles. He twisted the top half of his body to look at his feet. A shadow was grabbing his ankles. _My shadow!_ "Hey! Don't use my own shadow against me!"

Happy flew over to where Natsu was led on the ground and tried to pull his shadow off him. The cat's paws just passed straight through as though the shadow was, well, a shadow.

"Stay back. I need to draw the demon's magic out but I can't be certain it won't try to find another host," Dean called out, loud enough for the whole group to hear. As he said that he pulled the knife from Lilia's side, causing her to scream as her eyes snapped open. Dean held the bloody blade away from her body and let go. Black mist rose from the blade. It mingled with the smoke that seemed to appear from no where and wrap round the knife before it vanished. Natsu could still smell the evil magic even after the knife disappeared. He could smell Lilia's blood too. There was a lot of it. Natsu's shadow let go of his ankles and retreated back to where it should be. He rushed forward along with Erza, Lucy and Gray to stand beside the woman. Her green eyes were clouded with pain as she looked up at Dean. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, as though trying to speak. It looked as though the pain was making even thinking difficult. Finally, Lilia coughed slightly and licked her lips, turning her head towards Dean who was waiting patiently to hear what she needed to say.

"My ass isn't stupid,"

Dean laughed. Natsu stared at the two in bewilderment. Lilia passed out.

"She needs medical attention. We have a healer at the guild who will be able to help," The way Erza offered help made it sound like an order rather than an offer. If it bothered him, Dean showed no sign of it, instead picking Lilia up gently and smiling gratefully at the group. His easy smile made him look less intimidating but Natsu still wasn't sure he should be trusted, not after he just stabbed Lilia. He was going to voice these thoughts but-

"Why did she tell you her ass wasn't stupid?" Natsu asked, folding his arms and frowning at the man. Dean laughed a little sheepishly, further diminishing his intimidating appearance.

"I told her to get her stupid ass into the fight. I don't think she appreciated it." He smiled warmly at the woman in his arms but the smile slipped into a frown. "Could we hurry up, she's losing a lot of blood."

"Wait!" Lucy grabbed Erza as she started to move in the direction of the guild. "What about that man? We can't just leave him here, we should bury him! And what if they were the ones who killed him?"

"We didn't kill him, the demon did," Dean glowered at Lucy and she shrunk behind Gray. "As for burying him, I don't think there is enough of the poor bastard left to bury do you?" He jerked his head behind him. All eyes followed the movement to see only a darkish smear left on the grass where the man used to be. Lucy retched. "The demons magic decays the host, even after death. Now, _please,_ can we see the healer." His voice was strained. Erza took off running in the direction of the guild. Dean followed close behind, hugging Lilia close to his chest.

"I've closed the wound up and repaired as much damage as I could but there is likely to be a scar," Wendy's voice was small as she gazed timidly up at the big man before her. She had done her best to get rid of all trace of the wound but it was bad and she was close to the limit of her magic power. "Sorry."

Dean let out the breath he had been holding with a 'woosh' and scooped the surprised girl into a hug. "Thank you so much! You're incredible." A big grin split his face as he set the girl back on her feet. Wendy laughed nervously. He wasn't as scary as he first seemed but he was still a stranger. The man moved quickly past the curtains that surrounded Lilia's bed and sat down on the edge, holding her hand with both of his.

"She will probably be asleep for another hour or so, it seemed like her body had been fighting some sort of infection, though I couldn't find any trace of it," Wendy was baffled but Dean just nodded as though it all made perfect sense. "Also, um, some of the guild members asked me to tell them when I finished healing her. They have a lot of questions."

"I suppose they must," Dean sighed, not taking his eyes from Lilia's face. Wendy smiled slightly at the behaviour, it was obvious he loved the woman very much. "I will do my best to answer their questions, though I imagine most will have to be answered by Lilia."

Wendy nodded and stepped out of the room, colliding with Natsu's chest. Natsu blinked and looked down at her.

"Can I see them yet?" He asked, his impatience obvious. Wendy gave a small nod, rubbing her nose where she had collided with Natsu. He dashed past her, followed swiftly by Erza, (who yanked his collar and reminded him that the woman recently been injured) Happy, Lucy, Gray and the Master. Wendy called after them that it wasn't a good idea for all of them to crowd the patient but they ignored her. Carla hovered by the girls shoulder and shook her head as Wendy ran in after them.

"How can she use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic?" Natsu demanded, the second he laid eyes on Dean. Dean looked up from where he had been stroking Lilia's forehead.

"I think it would be best for her to answer that."

"Well then, wake her up so I can ask her." Natsu stalked towards the bed, ignoring Wendy who was pulling on his shirt to try and stop him waking up her patient. Erza reached out and hit him round the back of the head making him stop and clutch his head. "Fine! What do you mean you told her to get her ass in the fight? You didn't say anything like that!"

"Not out loud, no," Dean signed, standing up and crossing his muscular, tattooed arms across his chest. "It's difficult to explain but Lilia and I are from a clan of demon hunters called Vyadha. We are quite a large clan but few people have heard of us, through our own design. What I tell you today, I tell you because I feel we owe you for saving Lilia's life. She may not agree but since she is asleep," He looked over at her face as though confirming she was still asleep, "I make the decisions. I would appreciate it if the information stays within this room." His brown eyes met the eyes of every person, and cat, in the room. They all nodded. "Thank you. Firstly, I would like to introduce myself properly. I am Dean Winnall and this is my wife, Lilia Winnall. Well, soon to be ex-wife but that's another story." He chuckled. Wendy frowned, it was obvious he loved the woman, why were they getting divorced? "When the Vyadha marry, a bond is created. This bond is magical and brings a number of benefits to both parties. One feature of the bond, I don't know whether you would call it a benefit, is the Link. It allows the couple to read each others minds and communicate telepathically. When I told her to get her stupid ass into the fight, it was through the Link."

Dean paused at this point to check everyone understood. A small, ageing man was nodding thoughtfully.

"Dean, was it?" Dean nodded, "My name is Makarov, I am the Master of this guild. Erza tells me you saved them from a demon and that your wife was injured saving Natsu, I extend my thanks to you both. You are welcome to stay with us here at Fairy Tail for as long as you need to."

"Thank you Master Makarov, that is very kind,"

"I must ask though, I have heard of the Vyadha clan in passing and from what I know you live very far away from here. What brings you to Magnolia?" If Dean seemed surprised that the Master had heard of their clan, he didn't show it.

"Again, I'm afraid that is a question which really should be answered by Lilia."

"What question should really be answered by me?" Dean turned to face Lilia who was sitting up in the bed. He smiled at her and before Natsu had a chance to open his mouth he repeated the Masters question. Erza shot Natsu a look, warning him to be quiet for now. Natsu pouted and crossed his arms.

"Dean and I were given a mission by the Elders which has brought us to Magnolia," Lilia responded with no inflection, no emotion in her voice. She placed a hand over her injured hip and glared up at Dean. Dean's smile faded, replaced by a frown.

"Don't be rude. If you're going to talk to me with other people around, say it out loud," He admonished before turning to the gathered mages. "Please forgive her, Lilia is a suspicious person and can come across rude when you first meet her." He ignored the growl from the woman in the bed. "Lilia was telling me off for giving away information about our clan to outsiders but I have explained that you have all agreed not to discuss this publicly."

Dean side stepped as a ball of fire shot passed his right ear and hit the wall instead. Natsu's eyes widened and he crossed quickly to the woman's bedside before Erza could stop him. Lilia, who had been scowling at Dean, turned to meet Natsu's gaze, her expression changing to one of puzzlement. For a minute, Natsu only held her gaze, noticing that her eyes were no longer ringed with a glowing gold circle as they had been when she was fighting. Her eyes were a startling green that reminded him of the trees by his house. She had pretty eyes. All of her was quite pretty, actually. Most people seemed to think he was oblivious to women but he wasn't. He knew Lucy and Erza were pretty but they were his team mates before he was really aware of girls and could only see them as such. He found other girls pretty, hell he had even kissed a few of them but Lilia was different. He just wasn't sure how yet.

"How do you know Fire Dragon Slayer Magic? Did Igneel teach you? Do you know where he is?" Natsu couldn't have slowed down if he tried. He hadn't felt this close to Igneel since the Dragon had left. Lilia narrowed her eyes.

"If I knew where he was I would have completed my mission and gone home already. I take it you don't know either." It wasn't a question. Natsu frowned, that still didn't answer how she could use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. As if sensing he was going to ask again Lilia raised a hand and tapped her chest, just below her sternum. "Lacrima. I have half the Fire Dragon's lacrima."

Before Natsu could ask how the hell that was possible, the Master coughed, drawing all eyes to him except Natsu and Lilia, who still held each others gaze.

"What is this mission that brings you so far from you home?"

Lilia didn't look away, she held Natsu's dark eyes as she said, "To seek revenge on the beast that attacked my town.

"To slay the Fire Dragon."


End file.
